Residency

:: Determination of Residency

All students at or applicants to The University of Vermont are classified as either in-state or out-of-state for tuition purposes under The University of Vermont Board of Trustees Residency Regulations. Students classified as in-state residents pay lower tuition than out-of-state students. The Residency Regulations are applied uniformly to all students throughout the university’s colleges and schools.

The University of Vermont Board of Trustees, as mandated by Vermont State law, sets the criteria to differentiate between Vermont students and others for the purpose of tuition assessment.

The qualifications for in-state status at The University of Vermont are independent of the criteria used by other state authorities to determine residency for such purposes as income and property tax liability, driving, and voting. Those determinations may or may not be the same as our determination of your status.

Each state determines its own regulations as there is no federal legislation governing state tuition classification. It is possible that a student does not qualify for residency status in any other state. Your status at The University of Vermont, however, is governed solely by Vermont law.

You must establish residency in Vermont before you are entitled to pay resident tuition rates. If the University questions your residency status, you will need to confirm your eligibility to be classified as a resident by filing the Application for In-state Status in a timely manner. In doing so, you must provide clear and convincing evidence that you are eligible for resident classification. All applicants for admission or enrolled students, even those who believe they are Vermont residents, may be asked to complete an Application for In-state Status and provide additional information to document their residency status.

In general, to prove that you are an in-state resident for tuition, you must be able to document that:

you (or the parent upon whom you are dependent) have physically resided in Vermont for at least one full year prior to the first day of classes of the semester for which you are applying,

you rely on in-state sources for your financial support,

you are not in Vermont merely for the purpose of attending a college or university, and

Vermont is your permanent home and will remain so indefinitely.

The Residency Officer in the Registrar’s Office and the Residency Appellate Officer or designee in the Office of the Vice President for Enrollment Management administer the University’s residency classification process. They process and review applications for in-state status and make determinations. Residency Officers are bound by the provisions of Vermont State law and the Board of Trustees Residency Regulations. They are not free to make exceptions to the established rules and cannot waive any regulations. Residency Officers judge each application on its own merit, using the University regulations. Many factors are considered in determining residency for in-state tuition purposes. No single factor establishes domicile. In administering the regulations, the Residency Officers must evaluate and interpret each individual’s actions, information, and circumstances.

We cannot list a specific combination of factors or set of circumstances that, if met, would ensure your being classified as a resident. If your activities and circumstances demonstrate you have established your permanent domicile in Vermont, you will be classified as a resident once your eligibility has been confirmed. If your presence in the state is based on activities or circumstances that are determined to be temporary or indeterminate, you will be classified as a nonresident. Students are responsible for providing information sufficient to support their applications for in-state status.